26/11 witness not traceable, Nikam tells court

November 10, 2009 19:58 IST

A 26/11 prosecution witness is not traceable for last three months and all efforts to find him have gone in vain, a special court trying Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and two others was informed on Tuesday.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam filed a report in the court saying Bharat Thakur was not traceable and therefore could not be summoned as witness.

The prosecution wanted to examine Thakur to prove that accused Faheem Ansari had visited Nepal. Ansari had allegedly drawn maps of locations in Mumbai which were targeted in terror attacks. The charge against him is that he had handed over the maps to Lashkar-e-Taiba which had planned the attacks.

Ansari's friend Nurrudin had gone to Nepal to visit Thakur's home. As Thakur fell sick, Nurrudin did not stay with him and went to Kathmandu where he met Ansari. He saw maps with Ansari who told him he had drawn them with his own hand, Nikam said.